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September 25, 2014

#ItAllStarts with Great Story Telling - Nescafe's New Ad





"One of the most amazing ads I've seen in recent times." 

I don't even have to say anything beyond this. 

But I couldn't help it. Yep, that's what resonates most with people. At the end of the day a soft chuckle while you read a billboard. A lump in your throat that connects with the story being told or for that matter even a teardrop in your eye that waits to trickle down while you feel the story tingling down your spine and connecting with your deeper emotions while you watch an Ad like this! 

Yes, that's exactly the spot this latest Nescafe Ad did to me. I must have watched it at least 10 times. No kidding! I admit, each time I watched it I had those feelings all over again. 

Usually I may not be that attentive when I'm watching a TV show and as it smoothly transitions into a commercial break what catches my eyes or gets my attention are two things. Either an Ad that's absolutely crappy that makes me cringe and ask myself with a serious expression as to, why? Why did they even bother... Or something really great and spectacular that drives home a point with a smooth message that actually stays with me for a longer period of time.

But this actually is much more than that. Very recently I wrote an article for Lighthouse Insights about how Advertising will always be more about story telling and less about trying to market a product to your consumers. And this Ad, has validated precisely those thoughts of mine. What's more, it's really done well integrating a lot of elements that drive it's potential target audience. I happened to see this on my twitter /Facebook timeline, I think, when it was promoted or RTed by someone. What caught my eye was the fact that it was something to do with stand up comedy. Little did I know that it was more than just that. 

Very beautifully, the creators have tapped into an issue that captures an emotional sentiment with such beautiful attitude. The story isn't about how the character 'Rishi' is determined to succeed despite his challenge. The story is about how it inspires you to look at the aspect of not fretting the small stuff in life. And what is more timely is the way the product is plugged in without even sounding like an ad. In fact, it's not even a plug. A Nescafe mug, a spoon-full of coffee, the stirring and the pouring of milk literally 'stirs' that temptation within you and yet provides all the subtlety you need to avoid interruption and encourage a blend towards the story to culminate into the core message of what he's trying to put across. 

'Thank god for coffee...Isne Mujhe Lagaaye Rakha, Aur Aapko Jagaye Rakha!' 

I mean it's not even about copy writing, it's more than that. The fact that Coffee as a product is such that most of their TG, the young enchanting, raring to go and always fighting with their own aspirations will easily relate to. But it's not just about the fact that it keeps you energetic or up while you achieve your dreams but as simple as a humorous take on the character's skills as a stand up comedian to admit and even laugh it out by saying that the coffee will help you stay awake even if you're bored waiting to listen to the joke finish. Such fine detailing in the story telling is always missed out when you produce such TVCs. A great script, amazing production value and great acting. A combination of 'great show don't tell,' even cliches are so witty and put in such great context, for example the buffering and laughter club references. 

I really like the way they've used the audience laughter in points where his joke actually has a great punch and as the story he's trying to tell us within his stand up act and the end of the advertisement, how he raps his name smoothly blending into the character as they start the Nescafe music and how it makes you feel upbeat and beautifully overwhelmed that you hit the replay button on YouTube and watch it all over again. 
 
Srinivas has been a communications professional for over 15 years. He has worked with and built India's largest digital agencies from the ground up and been part of their acquistion journey. Social Wavelegnth (now Mirum, part of the WPP group) and Kinnect, now part of the Interpublic Group (IPG). He's also been a public speaker, keynote speaker at various large panels/events of the likes of BBC Knowledge Summit, Blockchain Summit Bangalore. And has been a guest lecturer at IIM, Symbiosis, Indian Institute of Digital Education.
He has been blogging since 2005. And also been author at various publications, that include Startup India by ZDNet, Social Samosa, Lighthouse Insights.  His passion for Writing, Advertising, Creativity, Digital, Blockchain and Future Tech is what drives him each day.